Ziggy Ramo
Human? A Lie That's Been Killing Us Since 1788
So-called Australia is built upon a lie: that 97% of the population are human, and the others simply ‘Indigenous’, devoid of the same basic rights.
Pantera Press, 2024
Human? is the story of acclaimed Wik artist Ziggy Ramo’s experience growing up under the weight of this lie. We’ve had 236 years of continued destruction in the name of ‘civilised progress’, under an oppressive colonial system that punches down on almost everyone. We all deserve more. But to move forward we have to be honest about the past.
Written on the precipice of becoming a parent, this is Ziggy’s offering for the future – an attempt to bridge a nation-wide knowledge gap, and start a new conversation. Prerequisite reading for anyone searching for a way forward, together. Human? is a book, an album and an exhibition by one of the most exciting voices of this generation. With his powerful debut, Ziggy asks: Would you still fight for human rights if it meant giving up your privilege?
About the Author
Ziggy Ramo is a singer and songwriter known for his lyricism and story-telling ability. The son of an Aboriginal and Solomon Islander father and a mother of Scottish heritage, Ziggy’s experiences with racism in Australia have led him towards activism, both in his music and in the wider world. Through his music, Ziggy aims to tell the story of Australia’s true race history, so that we can move forward and find answers that will help us improve. Ziggy captured the attention of the Australian public with his single “Little Things”, a heartfelt update of Paul Kelly’s “From Little Things Big Things Grow” which put forward a First Nations perspective on invasion, intergenerational trauma and deaths in custody. He has a starring role in the upcoming blockbuster Stan show Black Snow, which is airing early 2023.